In this study the growth of genetically modified Lactobacillus casei LAB6, overexpressing proline iminopeptidase PepI and its capacity to increase free proline was investigated during ripening of Edam cheese. The strain successfully survived 12 weeks of ripening period in cheese. The food-grade plasmid pLEB604, carrying the pepI gene, was stable, and PepI enzyme was active in LAB6 cells isolate...

Softening, which accompanies ripening fruits is also to a large extent, responsible for the damage that occurs during handling and shipping. The effects of 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) application at different ripening stages (mature green, breaker, breaker + 2 days and breaker + 4 days) on cellulase and pectinase activities of cherry tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. var. cerasiforme...

Fleshy fruits develop from an unripe organ that needs to be protected from damage to a ripe organ that attracts frugivores for seed dispersal through production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Thus, different responses to wounding damage are predicted. The aim of this study was to discover whether wound-induced changes in the transcriptome and VOC production alter as tomato transitions fr...

Sensitivity of tomato fruits to chilling injury limits its storage and marketability. This study investigated the effect of hot water treatment (HWT) on reducing the consequences of chilling injury (CI) with respect to quality attributes of tomatoes during storage. Tomatoes were harvested at three ripening stages: mature green, pink, and red; dipped in hot water at 45°C for 15 min; and stored a...

The effect of 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 ppm of ethylene, applied for 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours, on the ripening rate of "Hass" avocado (Persea americana Mill.) fruits at three stages of maturity was investigated. Ethylene treatments were started either immediately after picking or 2 days later. A sharp peak of ethylene production was found to precede full softening by about 2 days and the occurrence o...